I had a good sleep at Pinecone Lodge, Poblacion, Kabayan because of the exhaustion from yesterday’s whole day travel. Accompanied by the natural chills, sound of the water stream from the small river beside the lodge. We woke up around 07:30 and prepared for breakfast and ourselves for the real battle.

Along the preparation, we met a Czech couple and find out that they are also going on the same trip we will have. So we decided to merge as one group and go together to Mt. Pulag.

We boarded on a truck that will lead us to Ballay Ranger Station for Registration around 9 AM. Then we arrive at almost 10 and did the registration. We had to pay DENR fees upon Registration.

Tawangan Trail is known for 4 Lakes and the first one is found beside the Ranger Station.

This is not part of our original plan but we went to the second lake, called Ambulalacao Lake, because the Czechs wanted to go. From the Ranger station, we boarded again the truck and travelled around 30 minutes to the jump off to the lake. The Park Ranger said that Ambulalacao Lake is just 3-5-minute walk from the road. The driver dropped us on a small pathway going up.

We were super high because of the excitement to see the lake and the start of the adventure and started the trek. We walked, crawled and carried full load.

30 minutes later and we still haven’t found the lake.

WE WERE LOST!

The park ranger said that Ambulalacao Lake is just 3-5 minutes from the road and we already had 30 minutes and we haven’t seen any sign of a Lake! So our leader decided that we should go back to the road and contact the Park Ranger and ask help because we were lost! So another 30 minutes had been consumed from going back to the road. Yes, we just wasted an hour to find that lake!

We tried to contact again the Park Ranger and good thing he was able to pick up the call. He was angry to the driver (us too!) because he dropped us off to the wrong way. Ambulalacao is 20 minutes away from that place. So we rode again a truck and finally seen another pathway up to the lake. This time, the Park Ranger accompanied us to the lake. Less than 5 minutes, we already saw the lake and it was stunning!

Andrei (from Czech) said that it was worth it! Indeed, it is!

So we headed back and to the truck and drove us to the shortcut way to Tawangan Town for about 30 minutes.

That was ONE ADVENTURE because we were lost! Lol.

Summary of Itinerary so far:

Day 2:

07:30 – Breakfast, head for Ballay Ranger Station

10:00 – Going to Ambulalacao Lake (Lost!)

11:00 – Back to Road and Called for Park Ranger and travelled to the Real Ambulalacao Lake

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The Blogger

CJ is a code-geek by weekdays and a frolic adventurer on the weekend. He's a free-spirited being who loves to go to the mountains, hills, waterfalls and anything that refreshes him from the daily pressure of life.